Protecting China’s natural heritage
From The Optimist Magazine
Fall 2915
“The river winds like a green silk ribbon, while the hills are like jade hairpins.” So wrote the Chinese poet Han Yu (768–824), in praise of the area surrounding the Chinese city of Guilin, at the banks of the enchanting Lijiang River. The area has what’s known as a karst landscape, with spectacular rocks and caves formed by the dissolution of soluble bedrock such as limestone. Every year, millions of tourists make the scenic boat tour over the Lijiang River, taking a break from cities shrouded in smog.
Faced with serious air pollution, China is becoming more conscious about the importance of protecting the country’s beautiful, ecologically rich natural areas. Recently, Chinese officials announced that in the next three years they will establish a well-planned national park system for China, based on the success of national parks in the U.S. The efforts will be focused on conservation of resources and ecotourism in places like Guilin that the Chinese are already very proud of. They even have a saying: East or west, Guilin scenery is the best.
